Canada steamrolls into to championship final at Junior Pan Am Cup

PANAMA CITY – Canada’s national junior team delivered a second consecutive straight sets playoff victory on Sunday to advance to the gold medal match at the Junior Pan Am Cup men’s volleyball tournament.

The Canadians beat previously undefeated Chile 25-17, 25-18, 25-23 and will face the winner of the Venezuela-Puerto Rico semifinal on Monday evening.

Nicholas Hoag of Sherbrooke, Que., scored 11 kills, two blocks and a service ace for 14 points to lead Canadian scorers. Daniel Moreau of Sherbrooke and Bradley Kufske of Abbotsford, B.C., added 11 points each.

The Canadian team now has a 3-2 overall record after a 1-2 mark in the round robin. It advanced to the final four hammering the Dominican Republic in Saturday’s quarterfinal.

Chile had gone 3-0 in the round robin including a tournament opening victory over Canada in five sets to get a bye to the semis.